The Crawling Hand (1963)
| running time = 89 minutes | country = USA | language = English | budget = $100,000 | gross revenue = Unknown | preceded by = | followed by = }} The Crawling Hand is an American horror film of the science fiction subgenre. It was directed by Herbert L. Strock and written by Bill Idelson and Strock based on a story concept by Joseph Cranston, Malcolm Young and Idelson. It was produced by Joseph F. Robertson Productions and released theatrically in the United by Donald J. Hansen Enterprises on September 4th, 1963. The film stars Peter Breck, Kent Taylor, Rod Lauren, Alan Hale, Jr. and Allison Hayes. The premise of the movie involves the severed hand of a dead astronaut that is discovered by a college student after it washes up on the shore. It takes possession of him and begins slowly killing the residents of a small town. Plot Cast Notes & Trivia * The copyright holder for The Crawling Hand is Kit Parker Films. * The Crawling Hand was lampooned in the fifth episode of season two of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and was the feature film for the episode. It aired on December 26th, 1989. * The Crawling Hand was honored at "The Canned Film Festival" in 1986 along with Bride of the Monster, Robot Monster, Project Moonbase, Robot Attack USA, Untamed Women, The Terror of Tiny Town, They Saved Hitler's Brain and Doctor of Doom. * This is the fifth science fiction/horror film directed or co-directed by Herbert L. Strock. He previously directed How to Make a Monster in 1958. His next work in the genre isn't until 1980 when he co-directs sequences from the horror comedy Witches' Brew. * This is the first film produced by Joseph F. Robertson and Joseph F. Robertson Productions. His future works will include numerous films in the erotica subgenre. * Writer Robert M. Young is credited as Malcolm Young in this film. * Composer Marlin Skiles is uncredited for his participation in this film. * Actor Alan Hale, Jr. (credited as Alan Hale in this film). will go on to become an iconic figure of the 1960s when he takes on the role of the cap-slapping Skipper on the comedy series Gilligan's Island. * Actress Allison Hayes is best known for playing giantess Nancy Archer in Nathan Hertz' 1958 sci-fi classic Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. This is her final sci-fi/horror role. * Actor Tristram Coffin is credited as Tristam Coffin in this film. * Actor Stan Jones is credited as G. Stanley Jones in this film. * Actor Ashley Cowan is uncredited for his participation in this film. * This is the only horror/sci-fi work for actress Beverly Lunsford. She has also appeared in episodes of National Velvet, Leave It to Beaver and My Three Sons. * The hand model used for the "crawling hand" scenes is actually Joseph F. Robertson, producer of the film and founder of Joseph F. Robertson Productions. * Burt Reynolds screen-tested twice for the role as teen character Paul Lawrence, but reportedly performed so woodenly that he was not chosen. * The Utter-McKinley-Strother Mortuary where Curran and Weitzberg view the body of Mrs. Hotchkiss either is, or is named after, the mortuary where the funeral of Bela Lugosi was held in 1956. Recommendations * Evil Dead * How to Make a Monster * I Was a Teenage Frankenstein * The Slime People See also * Alien life forms * Alien possession * Cats * Funeral home * Mortuary * Mutants * Possession * Severed hand * Strangulation External Links * * * The Crawling Hand at Wikipedia * * References Category:Films Category:1963 films Category:Black and white films Category:Joseph F. Robertson Productions Category:Donald J. Hansen Enterprises